![]() ![]() And different species of anglerfish have different symbiotic bacteria. The bacteria get nutrients from the fish the fish gets light from the bacteria. The light in the lure is created by a community of symbiotic, luminescent bacteria, called Photobacterium, living in the lure. The term anglerfish is actually used to describe a variety of fish families that belong to the order called Lophiiformes. ![]() The lure is a luminescent piece of the fish’s dorsal fin sticking up above its mouth. This fleshy organ grows from the top of their heads and just hangs in front of their mouths. It appears that most of the females of this type of fish have a special organ to do so. And that lure is retractable so the fish isn’t always “fishing”. Anglerfish are named after the way they hunt Anglerfish are bony types of fish in the order Lophiiformes and are named after the way they lure their prey. As there are many species of anglerfish, there are many variations on the type of “fishing pole”, including some with floats and even hooks. A female anglerfish uses its glowing lures to draw prey close enough to grasp with its sharp, pointed teeth. Some species of anglerfish are called “devilfish”, but no worries, they’re pretty small and live in what’s called the ‘Midnight Zone’ (below 1000 meters) in the deep sea where’s it’s always dark. Despite its ferocious appearance, the angler is a small fish, reaching a maximum length of only about five inches (12 centimeters). You may remember seeing an anglerfish in the movie Finding Nemo. Gail Grabowsky Kaaialii, Marine Biologist.
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